3 June 2018

ANOTHER ASPECT TO MY TESTIMONY(1)

By John Ollis

In the 1990’s as God was opening so many doors of ministry for me, we decided as Margaret and I both have parents born in the U.K. we made the decision to apply for British/European passports, to make it even easier for us to minister across that whole region. Some time later an envelope arrived from the British Passport Office containing a passport for Margaret and a letter for me informing me that that the British Government does NOT give passports to illegitimate children of British citizens. I was shocked and after much seeking of information discovered my father had left Melbourne ( some years after immigrating with his parents to Australia) for New Zealand, he had met a lady there and married here, and soon after their first child was born he left N.Z. and returned to Melbourne, some time later he met my mother and moved in with her, and I was a result of that union. They had actually celebrated their wedding anniversary (even t5hough never married) every year as it was quite a shameful thing to live together unmarried at that time (late 1930″s). You can appreciate I was shocked, but immediately I felt the Holy Spirit whisper into my heart that I was a legitimate child of God.
In the Old Testament an illegitimate person could not enter the tabernacle area or assemble with God’s people , we read this in Deuteronomy 23:2 NKJV One of illegitimate birth shall not enter the assembly of the Lord; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the Lord.  The AMPLIFIED BIBLE expresses it :A person begotten out of wedlock shall not enter into the assembly of the Lord; even to his tenth generation shall his descendants not enter into the congregation of the Lord. Under the Old Covenant, even because of another’s sin, access to the presence was God was blocked.  I am so glad under the New Covenant WE HAVE ACCESS 24/7. Hallelujah,  In Ephesians 2:18 NKJV Paul tells us, For through Him (Christ) we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.  The AMPLIFIED says For it is through Him that we both [whether far off or near] now have an introduction (access) by one [Holy] Spirit to the Father [so that we are able to approach Him,  The MESSAGE BIBLE  expresses it this way He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father.
In a recent blog on God discipling us, I quoted from Hebrews 12. in the context of our study today, the author of Hebrews writes in 12:8 NKJV  But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. What a challenge, we constantly have two choices when God is seeking to deal with us:

  • WE EITHER RESPOND OR REACT
  • WE LET IT BE EITHER A STEPPING STONE OR A STUMBLING BLOCK

So our rejecting and reacting to God’s dealing we could make ourselves “illegitimate”. May the Lord help us not to ever do this.
So, even though I was born “illegitimate”, ten years later (October 1951) I was BORN AGAIN, and am a  LEGITIMATE CHILD OF GOD, I have access 24/7 into the Father’s presence, I declare my God is SOVEREIGN, and in complete control of my world therefore, I can say with the Apostle Paul  And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 NKJV

REJOICE TODAY THAT YOU ARE A LEGITIMATE CHILD OF GOD